TCG Brain Bank: Where Knowledge Earns Interest

Introduction

One of TCG’s greatest assets is the community
of brilliant and creative minds represented by our membership. The TCG Brain Bank was created as a way to connect these minds
by allowing our members to share their wealth of experience
and knowledge with one another. Even the most seasoned of theatre
professionals find themselves facing challenges for which they
feel unprepared. By connecting our members with colleagues who
have cleared similar hurdles, TCG hopes to foster a sense of
community and support while harvesting the knowledge of the
field for the greater good.

We invite executive leaders, senior level staff and trustees at
TCG Member Theatres to volunteer their time and expertise as Knowledge Donors. We also invite executive leaders, senior level staff and trustees seeking counsel on a particular issue to
request a match from our volunteer bank.

Please remember to fill out all information fields. Without all the data, it is difficult to make good matches. If registering as a Peer, you must choose one specific question/issue needing to be addressed. As a Peer, each time you have another issue, in which you want guidance, you must fill out another Brain Bank Peer Registration Form. Once TCG makes a match, the Knowledge Donor will receive an email in which he or she must "accept" or "decline" the match. If the Knowledge Donor accepts the match it is the Peer's responsibility to get in touch with their Knowledge Donor. If the Knowledge Donor does nothing, the match will stay in a pending state indefinitely. TCG sends a quick evaluation to both parties 30 days after the initial match is made to ask about their experience.

Brain Bank Knowledge Donors

Knowledge Donors
are individuals who volunteer their time and expertise to offer
guidance and counsel to Peers. Once registered,TCG will store
the Knowledge Donor's information in our database and consider
it for a match each time we register a new Peer.

Brain Bank Peers

Peers are individuals
who wish to be matched with a Knowledge Donor to receive guidance
on a particular issue. Once registered, TCG will search our
database to find the Knowledge Donor whose experience and background
best suits the Peer's stated challenge.

Who?

The TCG Brain Bank is open to executive leaders, senior level staff and trustees at TCG Member Theatres. Senior level staff includes positions such as: production managers, marketing directors, development directors, literary managers, facility managers, etc.

What?

The Brain Bank is a peer network of theatre professionals,
who have volunteered their time to offer guidance and support to
their colleagues. TCG gathers requests from those wanting to share
their expertise (Knowledge Donors) and those seeking support (Peers),
and facilitates matches based on the nature of the Knowledge Donor's
experience and the Peer's stated challenges.

Where?

While matches will be facilitated by TCG staff, Brain
Bank Peers are responsible for contacting their Knowledge Donors via phone or email.

When?

The Brain Bank is an ongoing, year-round online program, and participants
can sign up at any time. Time commitments will vary according to
each case, but Knowledge Donors should be prepared to commit to
at least five hours per month. The amount of time spent on each
case will be determined by the Knowledge Donor and Peer, and will
not be monitored by TCG. Please keep in mind that the Brain Bank
is not a professional consulting service, it is a peer-to-peer network
designed for sharing, guidance and counsel. Knowledge Donors are
volunteers, and Peers should
be sensitive to their schedules.

Why?

The Brain Bank was designed to improve and expand
upon a referral service that TCG previously offered as an informal
benefit to its members. By giving the service a formal structure,
TCG is able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of where
specific expertise within the field is located, thus informing our
ability to arrange the most beneficial matches for our members.
Ultimately, we hope this service will help bond and strengthen
the theatre community as a whole by fostering a sense of mutual
support and sharing among theatre professionals.

How?

Those wishing to offer their expertise should fill out the Brain Bank Donor Registration Form. Those wishing to obtain guidance from
a colleague about a particular issue should fill out the Brain Bank Peer Registration Form. As a Peer, you must choose one specific question/issue needing to be addressed. Peers must re-register each time they seek advice on a new matter.

All of the information provided to us by registrants will be kept confidential and used only to assist in facilitating the best possible matches. Upon completion of your Registration Form you will
receive a confirmation email. Information on Knowledge Donors will
be stored in our database and searched each time we receive a request
from a Peer. Once TCG makes a match, the Knowledge Donor will receive an email in which he or she must "accept" or "decline" the match. If the Knowledge Donor accepts the match it is the Peer's responsibility to get in touch with their Knowledge Donor. If the Knowledge Donor does nothing, the match will stay in a pending state indefinitely.